Aerochemical device



June 1, F SHORT I 2,442,381

AEROCHEMIGAL DEVICE Filed Feb. 3, 1944 I III, SWGIAZ/ A FRANK d/VOET' Patented June I, 1948 -.2,4gg,ssi

-,Eranlt Shunt, Unitelt States eelieat ae i -twee y e e vlqa .6.. Qleim t- (.Grantesl under the a t of March 3, 1883, as

1 2a; smog-,6: .1

The invention descrihed;herein..may.be, manufactured and usedby' or i011 the Government, for 'gquermh'ental purposes, without thepayment to meet any rcyaltythereon.

' 'l his invention -relates to anefiicientflmeans fer :r'eleasing and disseminating. chemical. .warfare agents from 5 aircraft. in fiight'.

Up uri-t'il now very few. effectivegtypes of. ap-

paratus have been developed: for. discharging v chemical warfarenagents; sueh as toxie-lp'ersistent liquids and incendiary-substances: from. airplanes. Chemical 5 drop bemlos', :whichi xplodetand. burst ope n only upon impact with: the ground, havefla limited tactical use because they havealow :zagentcontent efficiencyan'd.cannotbeefiectively us'ed to cover.;.targets. .of .large area. -fco me =-tieficiencies of .dropi.bombs,;.spray. tanks were. developed sincethe last war. zThese tanks have a high chemical fillingetmweight. ratiosand good spreading capacity, butsaretbulky compli- 7 cated, difficult; toe-prepare for; action, subject to zdefective action,- andsomewhat cost-1y.

To. over- 1 Arnobj ectof .the presentinvention. is .to provide apparatus; which is simple .in .;cons.tructioin, .safeta handle and. release from an airplane; an .=with-.a.high-chemical. efiiciency and; spreadin Another object. is. t0. provideaan effective. yet

-' simple. type oflsapparatus. adapted; for discharging a multitude ccif..zincenciiarygunitsand.1501. layingidawn.agshovt er;011av persistent vcsicants agent :tromtheiair; the apparatus-being deyoidof. complications; suchias. fuses, explosive charge? electi'icaluconnections, intricate .discharge lines .and

valves, 01:. the like, fol qohtaining. a; discharge. O

the-agent.

"Eurther ohiectswill becomaapparentifmmihe -fol1owing.description and accompanying-drawing.

" Fer: accomplishing the objects. of :this-inventi containers-is; pmvided which: may;v be of; con- 4 venient; size:;f.or attachment to standard. homb racks .or,if.-desired;as large asstandardized spray tanks. The container; body or. casinaiis. constructedtoxhayeas, anqintegralspart a. strip or 1- band susceptible. to" being. pulled; or. tom away by... an adequate iorce, particularly asudden torque... force, imparted. through a; fastening I meansiwhich 'remains secured to the; plane; when 'htheicontainersis:.released freemsthe. planegin an I orderly; controlledimanner. y-whenithel strip .Or I -=band;is thus torn, away, the-container. isiopened and makesasatistactory discharge otthe chemical aagentl without. danger. of. .centaminatien to the'plane.

- itlhelcohtaineriisspreferably ;S0meWhat5S1;KBam-.z

5 withstandshipment anflaml .10 acne finin --whe v wires-1 Eb. fi st w n r eatedischareel nes al. .outtmubleselfle:elQQtIi? 9.qn ...Qti

tors, .theicontainer; s. iaeentsfillin ands-1 n i is with at? 1 aernchenggal cgn- 1&2?!

.descr-ib ed... in mares clgtall features of.

.Eiaunes nai ge i$ tudinal View a d eea hawe men e We a v' s irie i is mfiemita e anti. tha pr t gs- 32 units I, which then fall an a faai usttatsel k Q- HE 31. t aaaam b.95 3 ,aop a ian iiaesewit .fil $llR9i9 lugs '8 and l! properly spaced so that the container can be attached to the releasing shackles l and II of a standard type bomb-rack bar. The arming wire 1 may be wrapped several times around the container body, as shown in Figure 2, and attached to a hook provided in notch l2 of the shackle bar. On release, as shown in Figure 5, shackles I0 and H are opened while the notch hook or shackle I2 remains closed. Thus the container begins to drop, and the arming wire causes the container to rotate a number of revosaturated organic compounds which very rapidly 'and exothermically become oxidized in the preslutions as it attains a certain rotative speed.

When the arming Wire 1 becomes extended its 1 full length and attains full tension, the inertia.

of the revolving and falling container is suffi cient to cause the tear-strip to become completely,

twisted off, as shown in Figure 6, without excessive shock or strain.

4 formed as receptacles which are frangible or subject to cleavage on sufficient impact corresponding to the impact they receive in hitting the target or ground after falling.

The flammable receptacles should be inert to their spontaneously ignitable contents and impermeable to air or should have an inner lining or container inert and impermeable in these re- 7 spects for enveloping the spontaneously ignitable Further, as shown in Figure 6, with the container opened into two parts, the springs act to push out the incendiary units. The shackles I0 and II may be operated in the usual manner through mechanical or electrical means from within the cockpit or bombardier station of a plane. Likewise, the notch hook I2 may be operated to open and release the arming wire and attached tear-strip as a safety measure after the container has been released to the fullest extent.

At the tail end, the container is provided with a valve means 13 for removing air and forcing in an inert gas, such as nitrogen, and with an attached conical stabilizer or equivalent tail fin for keeping the container in a substantially steady position as it falls into the air stream.

As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the incendiary units may be made up of squares l5 and I6 about A to inch thick. These squares may be made of Celotex or similar flammable fibrous material. They may be coated or impregnated with parafiin, or the like, to increase their combustibility and make them impermeable to air. The squares are joined together in pairs'and preferably arranged as shown in Figure 8 to make a unit. A recess I! may be provided in one or both of the squares as shown in Figure '7 on the side of the squares which becomes covered when the unit is put together. Within the recess is placed a phosphorus solution or suspension, and the unit is assembled as in Figure 8 by lightly melting parafin or adhesive plastic with which the two squares are impregnated and sticking the squares together to set the adhesive. Thus, the phosphorus may be kept sealed in the unit indefinitely, particularly if the phosphorus solution is substantially encased in a plastic, adhesive material which prevents access of air, until the unit becomes separated.

After the double square units have been discharged from the container, they become distributed through the air and are kept from igniting by virtue of the sealed assembly described.

Upon hitting the ground, in general, the individually frangible units tend to have an impact on one point or another, whereupon inertia forces them to separate as shown in Figure 10. When the unit becomes separated, the wet phosphorus suspension or solution becomes exposed to the air; and as the material becomes dried out by evaporation, the phosphorus becomes ignited and sets fire to the square. In this way extensive fires can be'started with a device of extremely simple construction.

The incendiary units may have various shapes. For example, they may be cubical, tubular,

spherical, etc. However, they are preferably" contents. The spontaneously ignitable material may include various substances, for example, un-

ence .of air and certain organo-metallic compounds. Solutions of these substances in flammable solvents may be placed within the receptacles provided they are in contact with materials to which they are inert. For example, a solution of divinyl acetylene or diethyl zinc in a hydrocarbon oil may be enveloped within a glass ampoule which, in turn, is enclosed by a receptacle made of a flammable material. In some instances the plastic used to envelop the spontaneously ignitable material may be one which is not readily flammable, as, for example, cellulose acetate. In having the spontaneously ignitable substance enveloped within a fibrous receptacle by glass or an inert plastic, the fibrous material of the receptacle may be chemically treated to increase its combustibility, as, for example, by nitration. In

other instances the receptacles may beconr trated in Figure 1. The liquid container does not necessarily require any internal projection means, such as springs, and may be filled to a proper level with a liquid agent, leaving a void for expansion. The container body may be made up with the tear-strip 5 in the midsection.

Methods other than soldering may be used for incorporating a tear-strip in the container. For example, the body may be fabricated as one piece but with a circumferential band l9 formed by partly shearing or stamping an indentation 20 onto the wall of the body. A loop Bis firmly welded into the bandfor attachment to an arming wire or cable, and in at least one place a weakening indentation may be made across the band. i The chemical container is also preferably provided with a threaded filling hole 2| for charging liquid into the container and closure plug 22 or equivalent valve means.

like the incendiary container, the liquid container may be provided with a stabilizer l4 at the tail end to maintain the container in a horizontal position as it falls into the air stream belowthe bomb bay to avoid bumping and make the openin the same fashion as a stream of liquid issuing from a spray tank.

The container and releasing assembly may be attached to a wing of an airplane. The container may be attached to a parachute.

The container casing may be made of sheet steel of about to 20 gage. A tear-strip soldered to abutting sections of the casing may be somewhat thinner.

A number of variation may be made in the structure of the container with the tear-strip releasing means to suit tactical needs. For example, perforated plates may be fixed within the container to be near the outlets of the sections of the container so that the liquid is ejected at a slower rate when the tear-strip is torn away. Or, the container may be constructed to have a weighted nose which remains fixed to the stabilized tail end, so that the container falls like a bomb and ejects liquid through openings left where the tear-strip is removed. Such a device may be released from high altitudes and aimed at an area target to be contaminated. Provisions may be made in such a container to have air or gas pressure or spring-activated piston means aid in forcing the liquid out as the container increases in velocity and descends toward the target. Also, an impact-detonated explosive charge may be incorporated into the container, as, for example, in the weighted nose to give added anti-personnel eflects and aid in checking the place where the container hit the ground.

Thus, it is to be understood that various modifications come within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a container adapted for releasing and disseminating a chemical warfare incendiary agent from aircraft in flight, an inert gas surrounding a plurality of incendiary units comprising frangible receptacles constructed of flammable material containing a substance which is spontaneously ignitable in air, said spontaneously ignitable substance being enveloped within the receptacles by a material which prevents access of air and remains unaffected by the spontaneously ignitable substance until the receptacles are broken open by impact to allow access of air.

2. A container adapted for releasing and disseminating chemical warfare agents from aircraft in flight, comprising an elongated air-tight hollow metal container body enclosing a chemical warfare agent, suspension means afiixed to an outside wall of the body for attaching the container to releasing shackles, a thin metal tearstrip incorporated as an integral part of said body and a fastening means on said tear-strip for attachment to an arming cable, said chemical warfare agent consisting of frangible receptacles constructed of flammable material containing a spontaneously ignitable substance enveloped within the receptacles by a material which prevents access of air and remains unaffected by the spontaneously ignitable substance until the receptacles are broken open by impact to allow access of air to the flammable material.

3. A container adapted for releasing and disseminating chemical Warfare agents from aircraft in flight, comprising an elongated metal container body having two parts integrally joined in an air-tight manner by a thin metal soldered tear-strip, said tear-strip being susceptible to tearing away by a sudden torque force applied through an arming cable fastened at one end to the tear-strip and fixed at the other end and suspension lugs flxed to each of said two parts of the container body; said chemical warfare agents consisting of a plurality of incendiary units comprising frangible flammable receptacles containing a substance which is spontaneously ignitable in air and enveloped within the receptacles by a material which prevents access of air and which remains unafiected by the spontaneously ignitable substance until the receptacles are broken open by impact to allow access of air to the flammable material.

FRANK SHORT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,459,793 Pape June 26, 1923 1,529,962 Pantoflicek Mar. 17, 1925 1,754,134 Wiley Apr. 8, 1930 2,306,321 Roberts Dec. 22, 1942 2,327,365 Moseman Aug, 24, 1943 2,346,494 Leland Apr. 11, 1944 2,379,364 Leland 1 June 26, 1945 

